The Gift Of Heaven
by Daval21
Summary: Ranma, Rorouni Kenshin crossover. A Wanderer arrives in Nerima. At the same time Ranma is seriously doubting that he will retain his sanity for much longer. However is help just around the corner?
1. The Wanderer Returns

The Gift Of Heaven  
  
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I do not own Ranma 1/2 and its associated characters. They belong to the Queen of Manga: Rumiko Takahashi. I do not own Rurouni Kenshin and its associated characters. They belong to Nubuhiro Watsuki. No profit can or shall be made on this work, it is fiction and therefore the result of too many beers and an excessive amount of free time. Now on with the show  
  
(P.S. Constructive critism is always welcome however bear in mind that i have only watched the Rurouni Kenshin anime rather than read the manga, pity us poor English people without the intelligence to learn Japanese)  
  
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The Gift Of Heaven Chapter One: The Wanderer....Returns   
  
"Welcome to Nerima: Home to death defying battles at least twice a week, three hundred year old martial artists and regular vacation spot of girl-hungry royalty. All those who wish to contact Ranma Saotome regarding engagements, slighted honor or life threating quests must do so through his Public Relations Advisor: Nabiki Tendo   
  
Cell Phone Number: 3456 9087"  
  
The Wanderer stared up at the sign that hung over the entrance to the Nerima Ward, Tokyo. After reading it carefully a number of times a large sweatdrop appeared on the back of his head and then, still sweating profusely, he spoke the only word that would convey the mixed feelings he held regarding the sign's contents.  
  
"ORO?!!"  
  
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Ranma Saotome awoke with the rising of the sun. Staring out of his window he sighed at the futility of it all. Life in general had become rather unbearable as of late and he had the sinking feeling it wasn't going to get any better.  
  
After the battle with Saffron he had publically declared his love for his uncute tomboy of a fiancee and for a moment had believed he could be happy spending the rest of his life with her. This feeling had only grown stronger by the sight of Akane in her wedding dress, smiling in that cute way of hers as he awaited her at the alter. However due to Nabiki's meddling their wedding had become a battlefield, he still couldn't believe the way his friends had acted. Shampoo he could sort of understand. She came from a backward culture that bordered on obsessive when it came to the issue of matrimony. In her mind Akane was an obstacle and obstacles are for killing but Ucchan....her involvement he couldn't understand.  
  
These feelings of betrayal paled in compared to the ones that accompanied his discovery that Akane was aware that the Nannichuan (spring of the drowned man) water had arrived addressed to him and that their fathers had kept it so as to realize their dreams of uniting the schools.  
  
Suddenly things had become far more perilous for our favourite pig-tailed martial artist. After the wedding Akane had reverted back to her old self, namely declaring him a pervert at every opportunity and then "punishing" him with that damn mallet of hers. The other fiancees had taken up the chase again after giving him about a week to cool off and Pops along with Mr Tendo were refusing to acknowledge his existence until he publically apologized to Akane for ruining her wedding (hmm how true is this I wonder - daval18) and marry her to make up for it. It was actually quite refreshing not having to worry about those two bozos.  
  
As for Nabiki and Kasumi.... well Kasumi appeared as oblivious as ever, her ever sweet temperment prevented her from directly challenging her father's judgement but Ranma had noticed that there appeared to be a lack of sake in the house recently and that she sometimes convieniently "forgot" how many people were in the family, therefore not preparing enough dinner for Pops or in some cases Mr Tendo.   
  
Nabiki, on the other hand, appeared remorseful for her involvement in the wedding caper. She had cancelled Ranma's debt and apologized to him. She still took photos of his cursed form but at least now they were tasteful and she was always willing to listen to him spill his grievences to the world. Only last night he had told her of his feelings towards Akane and how it hurt him when she refused to trust him. Unfortunately as Nabiki had hugged him, trying to console him then who should walk in but Akane herself and in a flash of A.J. (Akane Judgement), had yelled at him for groping her sister and malleted him into the canal, three miles away.  
  
"Still", thought Ranma,"It was nice to be hugged, just once, by someone who understands what I'm going through"  
  
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The Wanderer awoke, wondering why on earth the ground appeared to be trembling. Looking up from his position against an old oak tree, he saw the sign he had read yesterday had been dismantled and in its stead stood a brand new Starbucks. Construction equipment was now driving away, each of the workers munching on a complementry donut. Once again the sweatdrop appeared.  
  
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Ranma exited the guest room, sparing a glance for the old Panda who lay curled up in his futon. He played with the idea of tossing him out of the window but discounted it as to do so would be inviting a lengthy monologue about ungrateful sons. On an even more negative note the noise that would result from the old windbag's tirade would most likely wake the mallet-happy tomboy, who no doubt would blame him and bash him for something trivial like being alive.  
  
He was just about to go into the yard to practise when Akane's door opened. He froze, expecting the cry of "PERVERT!!!" to fill the air. When it never came he glanced down and then clenched his fists at the sight of "P-chan" who had just strutted out, looking pleased about something.   
  
Ranma's battle-aura flared  
  
"RYYYYOOOOOOGGGGGGAAAAAAAA !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
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The Wanderer turned at the sound of the shout in the distance and blinked as a small black blur barrelled into him sending him flying into the air. After landing painfully among a stack of old boxes, he shook his head to rid himself of the feelings of disorientation. Glancing up he saw a boy, about 17 years of age disappearing into the distance after the creature. Suddenly his face took on a startled appearance as for the second time that day as he felt the earth tremble. Many sweatdrops appeared as he turned slowly to glance over his shoulder.  
  
"ORO!!!"  
  
The entire Martial arts population of Nerima was thundering towards him, a dust cloud following in their wake. (think Ranma 1/2: the first movie)  
  
"Boy!, You will marry Akane today!"  
  
"Quite right Saotome!"  
  
"I am not marrying that perverted jerk!! Stop picking on P-chan Ranma!"  
  
"Ranchan honey come and try my new breakfast Okinomiyaki selection"  
  
"Airen no eat Spatula Girl food, Airen come back to China with Shampoo, yes??"  
  
"Saotome you will pay for stealing my beloved Shampoo"  
  
"Son-in-law accept your fate"  
  
"Hotcha, model this for your poor old master won't you Ranma-chan"  
  
"The vengence of Hea- urk!!!"  
  
"Shut up brother dear! Ranma-sama wait for me"  
  
and so on and so forth  
  
The Wanderer did the only sensible thing and ran ahead of the crowd, unable to dodge to either side. Besides that mallet held by what appeared to be a maternally enraged gorilla looked like it could really hurt someone!   
  
Putting on a burst of speed he sought to catch up to the boy ahead of him, maybe he could explain what this was about.  
  
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Ranma sneezed and then turned from chasing the perverted pig , distracted by the presence of another approaching him at a speed that was almost frightening. Behind him, gaining fast, was a boy who could be no older than himself. He wore a navy blue schoolboy's uniform and a long thin package along his back that for some reason called an image of his mother to mind. His red hair and violet eyes were striking. Ranma wondered what he could have done now to invite the wrath of a total stranger. He slowed and then stopped, turning to face his pursuer.  
  
"Whaddaya want", he grumbled, "Look I didn't do it on purpose what ever it was and I ain't gonna pay for it if my Pops stole it." He let out a sigh then refocused his attention on the newcomer, his eyes flashing dangerously "However if you just wanna fight well", he lowered himself into a fighting stance, "Ranma Saotome don't lose"   
  
The Wanderer stopped "This One only wishes to know what you did to merit being chased by half of the town" he paused, then smiled brightly in a way that would shame Kasumi, "and if we're asking questions then this One may as well ask for directions to Furinken High School"  
  
Ranma blinked and then looked past the Wanderer at the rising dust cloud. Taking in what had just been said he asked "you new here??"  
  
The Wanderer merely nodded in reply  
  
"Ahh, that explains it .... youseetheyallwanttokillmeormarrymeanditsallmystupidpopsfaultnotminesopleaseIdontneedanymoreenemiesjustleavemealoneandpickonsomeoneelse (preferably Moose or Ryoga)" Ranma blurted out all in one breath. "As for Furinken turn right, then left, then straight on ahead until you see a dented, carved and burnt brick wall, from there step two paces to the right and you'll be staring at the front gate to Furinken High."  
  
The Wanderer bowed to Ranma, "This One thanks you for your assistance..." he paused "how many wish to marry you again?"  
  
"Four"  
  
"And the ones who wish to kill you..."  
  
"All the rest I'm afraid"  
  
The Wanderer extracts himself from the floor after a good old Japanese face fault, chuckling good-naturedly. "I see." he paused. "well it was an honour to meet you Ranma-san"  
  
Ranma sweatdropped at the tone used, "Ya...well the honour was mine"  
  
"Bye"   
  
As the Wanderer turned and walked in the direction of Furinken, Ranma called after him, "Yo! whats your name ?"  
  
As the Wanderer turned, a smile upon his innocent face, Ranma felt a bond with this young man as if here was another who understood the depths of his suffering.   
  
"You may call me Shinta......Shinta Himura"  
  
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END OF CHAPTER 1  
  
Next Time: Ranma learns of a secret that shatter his entire world (mwahaahaa i love these teasers) and Shinta faces an enemy worse than Shakespeare  
  
By the way Shinta is basically Kenshin with a little Shoujiro thrown in (cos he rocks)  
  
And yes Shin does know Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu  
  
And no he and Ranma are not related  
  
(P.S : Unless you haven't guessed I am a proud Akane basher, Don't hate me for it but rather praise me for my ready wit and my ability to express myself without playing up to public opinion. I see her as deranged and maybe slightly psychopathic, a perfect match for Ryoga or Kuno in my opinion. I need a matchup scheme for Ranma, who should he end up with (this could become a multi-crossover). all ideas are welcome.)  
  
Send your questions, comments and ideas

Thanks and see ya (daval18 vanishes in a puff of green smoke) 


	2. Darkness descends

The Gift Of Heaven Chapter 2:

Darkness Descends

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I do not own Ranma 1/2 and its associated characters. They belong to Rumiko Takahashi. I do not own Rurouni Kenshin and its associated characters. They belong to Nubuhiro Watsuki.

Thoughts

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Shinta Himura was puzzled. Not that this was very unusual state of mind for him but still the name kept hitting him, _ Ranma...Ranma... _ It sounded so familiar...

Then like a bolt of lightning realisation struck him. He calmly stopped and lifted the carefully wrapped bundle from his back. Those passing him by instinctively shied away from him. They had not lived in Nerima for nothing and were well aware that many of its inhabitants were give to acts of mindless violence.

(Not to mention the fact that a certain Pig-boy had, on occasion, lashed out at nearby targets in an effort to quench his hatred for our pig-tailed hero. - daval18)

As the bindings fell away the cloth covering dramatically unravelled to reveal... a plain, ordinary length of wood, about the length of a regular katana.

Needless to say major facefaulting resulted.

Sitting down on a nearby bench Shinta closely examined it and then, finding what he was looking for, pushed an almost invisible lever on the surface. One end detached itself from the rest and falling to the pavement it revealed the stick to be hollow. Inside was a message. Shinta sighed in exasperation, his master had most definitely been mad. What could have been put in a simple envelope was instead hidden with an elaborately disguised messenger case, the sort of thing a ninja might use. Pulling out the well-worn message he read it, as he had a thousand times during his travels:

"_To my most useless student,_

_Suffice to say that if you are reading this then I am dead and gone, and you no longer feel worthy of your new found rank _(Shinta smiled at this display of his master's wisdom and foresight)_. Well you're not _(sweatdrop)_! You may have mastered the finer techniques of our style, even our most powerful, finishing maneuver however you are still a mere child. Wander, search for your true calling and restore the honor of our school. You must find the Dark Horse, bring him and his associate to justice and return the blade of your ancestors to its rightful place. _

_I hope and pray your successor is better than mine was _("stupid old man" mumbled the now red-faced young swordsman).

_Signed_

_Your Most Awesome Master_

_P.S. Don't you dare through away the case! It took me a month to craft that!_

Shinta contemplated the message again in the light of his newly found acquaintance, _ Dark Horse...Wild Horse..._ he sighed, shook his head and turned his gaze towards the now chiming school bell tower. _ In any case I dare say I'll see him soon enough, Furinken is the only school in the district after all. _

The Clock tower chimed again and finally the significance of the sound dawned upon Shinta.

"ORO!!! I'M GOING TO BE LATE!!!"

To the surprise of all onlookers the young swordsman leapt to his feet and began to bounce from one foot to the other, gradually picking up speed. With one final bound the young man blurred and disappeared from sight. The sound of tapping feet trailed off into the distance in the wake of a giant dust cloud, heading in the direction of Furinken High.

The watching citizens just shrugged in unison, this was Nerima after all, and continued on with their daily lives.

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Ranma ran towards the school gates as fast as he could. _ I'm gonna be late... I'm gonna be late, I'm gonna be late.... _

Of course normally he wouldn't be in such a hurry but he had English first thing and Miss Hinako was not known to be open to excuses.

Behind him ran his uncute tomboy of a fiancée fuming at the audacity of her possession -errr- fiancée. How dare he make her late! To top it off he tried to grope her sister, her poor defenseless sister.....oooo her mallet hand was itching like crazy.

"Halt foul sorcerer"

Ranma groaned and ran his hand through his hair in exasperation, "Not now Kuno, I'm really not in the mood."

The insane kendoist appeared dramatically from behind the school's only surviving sakura tree, taking a stance between Ranma and the entrance to the school building. "This is the last time I shall ask thee demon! Release thy hold on the fair Akane Tendo and my Pigtailed Goddess and I shall spare thy tainted life. So speak I....Tatewaki Kuno, age 17."

Ranma was about to make a sarcastic reply and then pound Kuno into L.E.O. (lower earth orbit) when an increasingly loud noise distracted both would-be combatants. Imagine their surprise at the sudden appearance of a disheveled-looking Shinta right in between the two of them.

"Phew, this One guesses that technique wasn't designed for such long distances" the scarlet haired boy muttered to himself as he caught his breath. Looking up he bowed in Ranma's direction, "It is good to see you again Ranma-san. May this One inquire as to why you stare at this One so?"

"How did you do that, even I can't move that fast"

The young man laughed nervously, "You might say it is one of this One's unique talents, carefully honed by training of course." He then turned to see a ranting Kuno, waving his bokken about and yelling some nonsense about demonic familiars.

"ORO?!! And who might this person be?"

Ranma shrugged, "A raving lunatic baka who tries to kill me everyday"

Shinta nodded sagely, "Ahhh, and the demon?"

"Huh?" asked Ranma intelligently

"The one behind you running up to the gates, the one who is surrounded by a fiery corona of red light, this One believes he saw it earlier today bellowing something about a P-chan"

Shinta was quickly introduced to the pavement via the mighty Mallet of Doom.

Ranma chuckled as he helped the boy up, shooting a quick glance at an enraged Akane. "Yeah that's my uncute fiancée, my Pop's fault as usual. Some sort of pledge to unite the schools meanin I have to marry her to satisfy the honor of our families"

Shinta smiled at the boy's rough, uncultured manner. His smile wavered somewhat when Akane made Ranma better acquainted with the concrete floor.

"Akane-dono, this One asks that you cease such behavior before someone is hurt"

She turned her gaze on him, snorting disdainfully "Shut up baka, he is a womanizing peverted jerk, he deserves all he gets and if you want to make something of it I'll have you know that I'm the best martial artist in Nerima"

Everyone in the school yard groaned (all except Kuno who launched into a new speech about the "fierce tigress" Akane and her attributes)

Smirking at the shocked expression on Shinta's face she turned and stormed into the school building.

The bell tower rang once more

Recovering, Ranma turned to Shinta "Come on, I'll show you to the registration office". However as they both turned towards the school Kuno leaped in front of them.

"I said halt, I wouldst duel with you Saotome, do not slight me so."

Angered by the pompous boy's manner, Shinta stepped forward.

"This One sees that you are skilled in the art of the sword. As this too is my art this One asks that you face him today." Remembering something he then broke into nervous laughter, "As you can see this One has no weapon but if one will be provided... "

(His eyes slant dangerously)

"I would see how good you truly are."

Ranma took a step back. Although Shinta appeared calm and collected Ranma detected a distinct change in his manner, an undercurrent of malice that wasn't there before.

Fuming Kuno pulled a spare bokken from his robes(Where the hell does he all those from anyway – daval18). Tossing it to Shinta he spoke through gritted teeth, "Very well peasant, as you wish... have at ye". He took a basic Kendo stance.

Shinta's eyes flashed _hmm...basic kendo style, many holes in his defense, are some traps? Used to fighting weaker opponents, that's obvious by the way he carries himself. Speed...laughable, Strength...reasonable and his intelligence appears to be, well let's just say below normal. This should be quick_. 

Reaching deep within himself he reached his center, his point of total calm which allowed him to become devoid of emotion. His face composed itself into a cheerful smile

Beaming at Kuno he spoke:

"Ahhh kendo? Fine then I shall use it as well."

He took a similar stance. The rest of the school looked on, classes forgotten. Both raised their bokkens into the ready position.

A single blossom detached itself from a branch and floated down towards the ground. The second it touched down Kuno let out a roar and charged at his adversary, who simply stood there a smile etched on his features. "Prepare to taste the blade of Kuno you foul peasant."

Ranma started to worry as Shinta took no steps to defend himself.

Kuno raised his bokken above his head and slashed downwards in an attempt to split Shinta in two. It was then that Shinta acted.

"Kamiya Kasshin-Ryu – Master Stroke (1)"

With that Shinta stepped to one side and smacked Kuno's sword-hand causing him to reflexively let go of his weapon. He then whacked him on the head, knocking him out.

Silence reigned in the school yard.

Shinta looked around at everyone sweating profusely under their stares

"ORO?? What did I do?"

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END OF CHAPTER 2

Next Time: Ranma learns of a secret that shatter his entire world (this time for real) and Shinta finds what he's been searching for.

The technique used by Kaoru's father when he destroys Gohei's hand, just not as powerful

Send your questions, comments and ideas

Thanks and see ya (daval18 vanishes in a puff of green smoke)


End file.
